- And I dreamed I saw the F-35 stealth jet planes . . . turn into health care . . . across our nation

Posted: 10:44 AM on March 22, 2011, Globe and Mail

Canadians don’t share Harper’s zest for fighter jets, debt reduction, poll shows, John Ibbitson, Globe and Mail, Mar. 22, 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadians-dont-share-harpers-zest-for-fighter-jets-debt-reduction-poll-shows/article1950801/

"And I dreamed I saw the F-35 stealth jet planes . . .

turn into health care, child care, retirement security, post secondary education . . .

across our nation"

take-off from Joni Mitchell lyrics 'Woodstock'
(cicblog.com/comments.html,1 Sep.'10 )

For all those 68% of Canadians that do not think we should proceed with the purchase of F-35's consider what our Department of National Defence is saying:

"Ottawa has committed approximately $9 billion to the acquisition of 65 F-35 aircraft"
http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/vol10/no4/14-shadwick-eng.asp

Why are they saying this anyway,

It's not a done deal, is it?

What else is Harper hiding from us.

I'm surprised that Harper hasn't made some statement about the Libyan no fly zone is proof that we need the F-35's - à la Harper proclaiming last August how fortunate we were to be spending 16 billion on the 65 F-35's in order to prevent Russian prop planes, that had no intention of transgressing Canadian sovereignty in the first place, from invading Canada.

For all those 29.9% that put Health Care as the number one priority keep in mind that the whole agreement with the Provinces, as well as equalization and social transfers payments, is coming up for renegotiation in '13 - '14.

If you think Harper is the one to represent our interests, think again - just look at Harper position in the past and that of the Con's - if Harper and the Con's were to get a majority public health care in Canada is as good as dead.

Stephen Harper's speech to the Council for National Policy, June 1997 (when you read the speech it doesn't sound like he's joking):
"First, facts about Canada. Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of the term, and very proud of it."

Harper, National Post, Dec. 8 2000 p. A18
"Canada appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country, boasting ever more loudly about its economy and social services to mask its second-rate status."

oh, and by the way did I mention:

Harper: (Speech to the Colin Brown Memorial Dinner, National Citizens Coalition, 1994)
"Whether Canada ends up as o­ne national government or two national governments or several national governments, or some other kind of arrangement is, quite frankly, secondary in my opinion… And whether Canada ends up with o­ne national government or two governments or ten governments, the Canadian people will require less government no matter what the constitutional status or arrangement of any future country may be."

Back to the poll results:

"Even a majority (56 per cent) of voters who identified themselves as Conservative supporters oppose the acquisition. And three out of four undecided voters are opposed.

. . .

While 30 per cent of Canadians pick the Conservatives as the party they “trust the most in terms of economic policy,”


What happened to the core of 33% die-hard supporters - people who will support Harper pretty much no matter what

I guess they know a bad deal, when they decide to take an objective 'see' of it.

I would like to point out that the wording of the survey was:
"
the total cost could be as high as $30 billion"

and not, what this article seems to indicate:
"“now is not a good time” to proceed with the $16-billion purchase of the F-35 fighter aircraft"

There is a difference, John

excerpt: Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html